my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life: No, I am no fuch thing; I am a man as other men are: and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them plainly, he is Snug the joiner.'

Quin. Well, it fhall be fo. But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light.

Snug. Doth the moon fhine that night we play our play? Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-fhine, find out moon-fhine.

Quin. Yes, it doth fhine that night.

Bot. Why, then you may leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the cafement.

Quin. Ay; or elfe one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and fay, he comes to disfigure, or to prefent, the perfon of moon-fhine. Then, there is another thing we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, fays the ftory, did talk through the chink of a wall.

Snug. You never can bring in a wall-what fay you, Bottom?

Bot. Some man or other muft prefent wall: and let him have fome plafter, or fome flome, or fome rough-caft, about him, to fignify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny fhall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.

Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, fit down, every mother's fon, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin when you have spoken your fpeech, enter into that brake; and fo every one according to his cue.

flame,]-clay.

D

VOL. II.

Enter

Enter Puck behind.

Puck. What hempen home-fpuns have we fwaggering here,

?

So near the cradle of the fairy queen
What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor;
An actor too, perhaps if I fee cause.

g

Quin. Speak, Pyramus :-Thisby, stand forth.
Pyr. Thisby, the flower of odious favours fweet.
Quin. Odours, odours.

Pyr.

odours favours fweet.

So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.But, bark, a voice! Stay thou but here 1 a whit,

h

And by and by I will to thee appear. [Exit Pyramus. Puck. A ftranger Pyramus than e'er play'd' here! [Afide. [Exit.

This. Muft I fpeak now?

muft

you

must understand, Quin. Ay, marry, you: for he goes but to fee a noise that he heard, and is to come again.

Thif. Moft radiant Pyramus, moft lilly-white of bue,
Of colour like the red rofe on triumphant brier,

1

k

Moft brisky juvenal, and eke most lovely 1 Jew,

As true as trueft horse, that yet would never tire, I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

Quin. Ninus' tomb, man: Why you must not fpeak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: you speak all your part at once, cues and all.-Pyramus enter; your cue 'is paft; it is, never tire.

m

the flower of odious]-the odour of flowers.

h

a whit,]-a little while.

i here!]-in this theatre, on this stage before.

* brifky juvenal,]-fprightly youth.

1 Jew,]-an abbreviation of jewel, a term of endearment. mcues]-laft words of a speech, which serve as hints for the next speaker.

Re-enter

Re-enter Puck, and Bottom, with an afs's head.

Thif. O,-As true as trueft horse, that yet would never tire. Pyr. If I were, fair Thisby, I were only thine :Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, mafters! fly, masters! help!

[Exeunt Clowns.

Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through mire, through bufh, through brake, through brier;

Sometime a horse I'll be, fometime a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, fometime a fire;

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire at every turn.

[Exit.

Bot. Why do they run away? this is a knavery of them, to make me afeard.

Re-enter Snout.

Snout. O Bottom, thou art chang'd! what do I fee on thee?-An afs's head?

Bot. What do you fee? you see an afs' head of your own; Do you?

Re-enter Quince.

Quin. Blefs thee, Bottom! blefs thee! thou art tranflated. [Exit.

Bot. I see their knavery: this is to make an afs of me; to fright me, if they could. But I will not ftir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will fing, that they fhall hear I am not afraid. [Sings.

The "oufel-cock, fo black of bue,
With orange-tawny bill,

The throftle with his note fo true,

The wren with little quill:

oufel-cock,]-black-bird.

0

D 2

throftle]-thrufh.

Queen.

Queen. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

[Waking.

Bottom fings.

The finch, the Sparrow, and the lark,
The plain-fong cuckow gray,

Whofe note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not answer, nay ;—

for, indeed, who would fet his wit to fo foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lye, though he cry, cuckoo,

never fo.

Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, fing again:
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note,
So is mine eye enthralled to thy fhape;
And thy fair virtue's force, perforce doth move me,
On the first view, to say, to fwear, I love thee.

Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that: And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days: The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek, upon occafion.

Queen. Thou art as wife, as thou art beautiful.

Bot. Not fo, neither: but if I had wit enough to get
out of this wood, I have enough to ferve mine own turn.
Queen. Out of this wood do not defire to go;
Thou fhalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a fpirit, of no common rate;

The summer still doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;

I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;

P plain-fong]-telling plain truth-with its uniform note or chaunt -oppofed to prick-fong, or variegated mufick.

a gleek,]-joke, flirt, fay fmart things.

And

And they fhall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And fing, while thou on preffed flowers doft fleep:
And I will purge thy mortal groffness so,
That thou fhalt like an airy fpirit go.-
Peafe-bloffom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustard-feed!

Enter four Fairies.

1 Fair. Ready.

2 Fair. And I.

3

Fair. And I.

4 Fair. And I: Where fhall we go ?

Queen. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks, and 'dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey-bags fteal from the humble-bees,
And, for night tapers, crop their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,

3

To have my love to bed, and to arife;
And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his fleeping eyes ;

Nod to him, elves, and do him courtefies.

1 Fair. Hail, mortal, hail!

2 Fair. Hail!

3 Fair. Hail!

Bot. I cry your worship's mercy heartily.-I befeech, your worship's name.

Cob. Cobweb.

t

Bot. I fhall defire you of more acquaintance, good mafter Cobweb: If I cut my finger, I fhall make bold with you. Your name, honeft gentleman ?

Peafe. Peafe-bloffom.